A word about Faeries…

I thought I’d talk a little bit about Faeries this month- just to set the year off right!

Now, according to Wikipedia (which is not so great a source, but an excellent starting point, as they usually cite sources, which you can then go and check out from your library, as you should do anytime you want to learn about an idea- use your primary sources!) a Faery is “a type of mythical being or…creature in European folklore”. I much prefer the Irish and Welsh stories of The Wee Folk, but everyone has them. There is no one sort, and there’s never any right way (or wrong way, curiously) to catalogue them, as one culture will refer to the same one by a different name as someone else’s culture, and vice versa! But you must beware, and never cross them, and never- ever- fall asleep in their realm. Be mindful of Stones, Water, Tors and Hills, and be watchful for Sudden Storms, Evening Twilight, and Horses Standing by Deep Waters. Be Kind, and Helpful, and never Greedy and you’ll turn out all right.

I’ve spoken of Faeries here before, but they’re not the usual sort, and love a good Bath… and Tea with Crumpets is their sort of Thing. They are mostly Unseen and Incorporeal, but are of the helpful sort, and take their duties very seriously. A few are Embodied and Tangible- these are unfortunately not the helpful sort, unless you count huggable, good listeners, and able to soak up astonishing amounts of tears as attractive qualities, then they would be the obliging sort:

We had an influx of the lovelies arrive around Yule, and they’ve quite made themselves at home, even to the extent of ordering new dresses from the Mantua Maker in the Square to be delivered to our address! Cheeky little birds…